Chapters 10 & 11: Explain Atticus’s definition of courage (end of chapter 11) ~Veronica~

Atticus values mental and emotional courage over physical courage. After the death of Mrs. Dubose, Atticus reflects on her final weeks with the children, he explains how she was a recovering morphine addict, and how he would have made Jem and Scout read to her even if Jem hadn’t cut the flowers. Atticus wanted them to learn a lesson from her. While concluding his discussion on Mrs. Dubose, Atticus says: “I wanted you to see something about her- I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do. Mrs. Dubose won, all ninety-eight pounds of her. According to her views, she died beholden to nothing and nobody. She was the bravest person I ever knew.” (Lee 149). After the incident with the mad dog, Jem was under the impression that his father was amazing and courageous because he was ‘One-shot-Finch’. While deciding whether to shoot the dog or not, Atticus was very reluctant. In the end, he only did it because he thought it was necessary for the well being and safety of the community. In his mind, he was not being courageous, he was just doing what was needed. Knowing that he had made the wrong impression on Jem, Atticus tried to find a way to show his son what his definition of true courage was. Atticus showed Jem that true courage is not shooting well or going head first into a fight, that courage is fighting a battle within yourself, even if you know that you are not going to win.

Chapter 8 and 9:Explore Scout's relationship with Uncle Jack. Don't forget to include what Scout teaches her uncle.(Jonathan Kim)

What Scout feels towards Uncle Jack is a fun, helpful, and trustworthy person who she looks forward to seeing on Christmas. Every year, the Finch family has a reunion around Christmas and visits the Finch’s landing(where Simon Finch lived). Even though they have a positive relationship with each other, Scout curses in front of Uncle Jack, and he decides to tell Scout that she can not curse when he is there. When Uncle Jack pulls her aside after supper, he says, “ I’ll be here a week, and I don’t want to hear any words like that while I’m here.”(Lee 105). Uncle Jack wants to protect Scout from using bad words, and still thinks that Scout is not grown up yet. Scout agrees to what he is saying and tries not to curse while he is visiting them. Afterwards, Scout starts talking to Francis, and he starts to make fun of Scout. As Francis was making fun of Scout’s family, he said, “ He’s ruinin’ the family, that’s what he’s doin’. ” (Lee 110). Scout could not control her anger and decides to beat up Francis. Uncle Jack heard the commotion and decided to punish Scout. When Scout goes back to her room, Uncle Jack talks to her, and Scout tells the side of her story. Uncle Jack learns that it was not completely Scout’s fault and learns he would not be a good parent. Uncle Jack did not listen to both sides of the stories, and predicted that it was all Scout’s fault. Scout begs to Uncle Jack to not tell Atticus about what Francis said to her, and later that night, Uncle Jack admits that he could never be able to raise kids.

What do you think would Uncle Jack have done if he was told both sides of the story of the fight? Do you think Uncle Jack will be an active role in the years to come? What do you think was Uncle Jack and Atticus saying when they said that Scout and Jem will have a lot of obstacles coming at them pretty soon?

Chapters 8 & 9: Discuss Atticus’ explanation of the case to Scout. What does Atticus mean by “Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win?” (Philip Tabor)

During Atticus' explanation to Scout of the Tom Robinson case, he states he must fight for the case, and even though he knows he will lose, but he does it for his pride and for his self-respect. Atticus is the best lawyer in Maycomb County, and one of the most respected men in town, and to just give up on a case would ruin his reputation as a lawyer for the rest of his life, and he would lose the respect of his son and daughter forever. This particular case though, is more intense than his other ones, as it means of defending Tom Robinson, an African-American who has been accused of raping a white woman, and although Atticus knows he's innocent, he knows the jury would not allow him to win. Scout gets bothered at school by students that claim Atticus is a disgrace, and that their parents say Tom Robinson should be hanged for what he did. While explaining the case to Scout, Atticus says: "If I didn't [represent Tom Robinson in court] I couldn't hold up my head in town, I couldn't even tell you or Jem not to do something again" (Lee 100). He explains to her that even though he should not be defending this man, if he does not he will have to carry the burden of giving up and losing the respect of the town, which is that's something he cannot do, for himself and his family. When Atticus tells Scout “Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win” (Lee 101), he is using a metaphor in which he is stating that even though his ancestors was defeated a hundred years before Atticus' family was born, does not mean they have to give up, they can still fight and try and win. This is closely relevant to Atticus' case, as he knows he is going to lose for a fact, but he still is going to try to win, for his pride and respect of his family and town.

Chapters 8-9: How does Scout end up with a blanket across her shoulders? Why would Harper Lee include this moment in the book? (Colin)

Boo Radley put the blanket around Scout as another act of kindness and Harper Lee adds this in To Kill A Mockingbird to add mystery and confusion to Boo Radley’s character. After Jem and Scout watch the fire at Ms. Maudie’s from the Radley House, Atticus asks Scout where she got the blanket she was wearing from. Scout and Jem don’t remember where the blanket came from. While the kids are trying to recall how they got the blanket Atticus says, “Boo Radley. You were so busy looking at the fire you didn’t know it when he put the blanket around you” (Lee, pg. 96). Harper Lee wrote this scene to add to the suspense around Boo Radley. At the beginning of To Kill A Mockingbird Scout and Jem think that Boo Radley is malicious but now they are questioning that impression because of Boo’s kind acts. Boo has given them presents through the knothole and he gave Scout a blanket so she wouldn’t freeze. This adds to the confusion about Boo’s character because the kids don’t know if “he dined on raw squirrels and any cats he could catch” (Lee, pg. 13), or if he gives blankets to people when they are cold. This interaction still leaves the reader wondering why Boo Radley did not say anything to them. Did he not want to be noticed? Harper Lee wrote this scene to show that Boo Radley may be a kind person but he is without a doubt mysterious.

Do you think Boo Radley will be kind or malicious? How do you think Jem and Scout will react when they learn more about Boo? Will the kids and Boo ever become friends or will Nathan Radley continue to keep them apart?

Dylan Wang- Chapters 6 & 7 "Why Do the Children Play Boo Radley?"

After hearing multiple spooky stories about the Radley family, Jem, Scout, and Dill decide to play Boo Radley because they are curious about him and want to know more about him. However, the children do not want to talk to Boo Radley because they are young and scared of him. So they decide to act out what they think interacting with Boo Radley will be like. When Jem decides to push Scout down the sidewalk in a tire, Scout swerves to the side and bumps into the Radley’s front yard. When running out of the front gate, Scout hears someone laughing. When they get home, Jem says, “I know what we are going to play today… Something new, something different… Boo Radley” (Lee 51). Being young children, Jem, Scout and Dill are too scared to talk to someone as scary and mysterious as Boo Radley. At a young age, Jem, Scout, and Dill are naturally curious about the people around them. For example, after hearing the stories about Boo Radley, they wanted to learn more about him and his mysterious past. Being resourceful, the children create a play allowing themselves to see through the eyes of Boo Radley. When acting out this play, the children learn what it is like to be Boo Radley in an unconventional way. Jem, Scout, and Dill play the game Boo Radley because it allows Harper Lee to show the characters curiosity and their creative ways of learning more about Boo Radley.

Do you think the children’s perspective of Boo Radley will change? If so, how? Do you think that Boo Radley may want to interact with Jem, Scout and Dill? Do you agree with what the children are doing? How would you feel if you were in Scout’s shoes?

Chapters 6-7 - Explain Jem’s statement: “When I went back they were folded across the fence... like they were expecting me.” - Emma Worthington

I think that the pants were put there by Boo Radley and that Nathan Radley is actually the one that shoots them not Boo. Throughout the book there are small things that hint that Boo is watching them. When Scout rolls onto there lawn in the tire she hears deep laughter. The laughter is Boo, because it would not be Nathan, he is to serious to laugh at something like that, in fact I think he would get mad at it. When Jem tells Scout it was as if they were expecting him he says, “Not like a lady sewed ‘em, like somethin’ I’d try to do. All crooked. It’s almost like-”(Lee 78). This suggests that a man did it but I don’t think that it was Arthur because he would be mad at the kids and keep them to get Jem in trouble. This is why I think it was Boo who sewed up the pants because he is the only person who would be in the yard and do something for the kids. I also think he is the one leaving things in the knot hole because Jem and Scout get statues of themselves and they don’t know who could have whittled them. It could be him because he spends all his time during the day in his house so no one would know he could whittle, so that’s why they never suspected him. In conclusion I think that Boo Radley sewed the pants up as best he could and left them for Jem.

Do you think Boo knows they play the game Boo Radley?

If so what do you think he thinks of the game?

Do you think we will meet Boo as we keep reading the book?

Do you think Boo will start leaving his house as the book progresses?

Chapter 6/7: What does Scout mean by "It was then that Jem and I first began to part company?" (Ella Wolff)

After Scout, Dill and Jem try to catch a glimpse of Boo Radley through his house window and are eventually scared off by Mr. Radley, Jem decides he must go back for his pants that he discarded in a hurry. Whist Scout is begging not to go back for his pants, Jem admits they should not have lurked on the Radley place earlier that night. Scout then claims “It was then, I suppose, that Jem and I first began to part company”(Lee 75). Scout recognises that Jem is growing up and isn't going to play childish games with her forever. He is becoming a teenager and doesn’t always want to hang out with his annoying younger sister. For example, on Scout’s first day of school he sets boundaries between them “Jem was careful to explain that during school hours I was not to bother him…”(Lee 20). It is clear that Jem doesn't want his personal life to be brought up during school hours. He is also showing that he doesn’t want his friends, or anyone at school to know he plays “ridiculous” games with his sister. Now that Jem is maturing, he won’t be with Scout nearly as much because he is embarrassed of her and how she acts.  As the story progresses Jem will drift farther away from Scout, leaving her to find new friends to play with.